Sound action for accordions, harmonicas and like instruments



June 30, 1931. 7 sop m 1,812,760

SOUND ACTION FOR ACCORDLONS; HARMONICAS, AND LIKE INSTRUMENTS I Filed June 29, 192

I y; iNVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented June 30, 1931' UNIT STATES; PATENT orrlca xasaro, sormm x, or casrannnmno, ITALY aounnnc'rron 20a ncooanrons, namronrcns am: LIKE msrnunms V Application filed June 29, 1928, Serial No. 289,170, and in Italy September 9, 1927.

This invention relates to improvements in the construction of accordions, harmomcas ness, and 14, 15 designate two vibrating tongues obtained by slitting the metal across and similar instruments and more particulartheouter edge of each tongue as shown at 16,

1y refers to a novel method of producing the 6 action plate or plates generally used in instruments of this .t pe. y Y

The primary obJect of this invention is to provide an improved method of producing action plates for accordions, harmonicas and 1 like instruments, whereby the cost of production of the same may be materially reduced.

Another object of the invention is to rovide in instruments of the class s cifie an action plate or plates of a novel an improved 15 construction, whereby the tonal qualities of the instrumentson which said action plates are used are considerably improved.

A further object is to provide an action plate for accordions, harmonicas and like instruments, which by virtue of its construction is stronger and more durable than action plates produced by methods heretofore in use; said action plate being also adapted to be made in more compact form than action 25 plates of the ordinary type having thesame number of actions or tones.

Various improvements of my invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which v Fig. 1 is a plan view of an action plate unit embodying my present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view in elevation of the same, showing the tongues oflset'from the plane of the plate by the action of vibration; 35 Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are plan views of similar action plates of various ranges and dimen SIOIlS; 7

Fig. 6- is a fragmentary plan view of a multiple action plate showing the possibility 0 of producing a considerable range of tones by the use of a single metal plate; and

7 is a fragmentary side view in elevation showing the preferred method of producing a multiple action plate such as illustrated in Fig. 6.

InFigs. l and 2, I illustrate action plates embodying my invention, in which the tongues areformed integral with the plate. In said figures land 2, 13 designates a late 59 cutout of the sheet metal of suitable t ickand'along its longitudinal edges 17 18, leaving each tongue attached to the body of the metal at the rear as shown at 19.

'lhe entire device bein thus made outofa single piece of metal, it can be produced at" a single operation and with far greater accuracy than it would be possible to obtain if the tongues were produced separately and attached to the plate as is now generally done. A considerable saving of material Will be realized because there will be no scrap resulting from the separate production of the tongues and no rivets are required; furthermore, a proportionate saving of labor is also eflected.

The principal advantages to be derived.

from thismethod of construction however,

reside in the improved performance of an instrument equipped with action plates made according to my invention, and in the possibilityof reducing the size of the instrument Without reducing its range. In fact, the possibility of the tongues becoming loose is absolutely prevented since the same are integral with the body of the plate. The interstices of clearances intervening betweenthe edges of the tongues and the plate are reduced to an absolute minimum, sincethe slitting operation produces edges which are practically adj oining; therefore the tongues will vibrate with greater intensity. 1, i In addition it will be observed that the tendency of a tongue to break close to its point of attachment is corrected or diminished due to the superior character of the connectionthus obtained.

; Another advantage which may be realized is that the width of material intervening be tween two adjoining tongues may be made bility of applying my improvedmethod of production in connection with action plates of different sizes and types; for instance, in

where 28 desi Fig. 3, I illustrate an action unit comprismg a plate 20 and two tongues 21, 22 integral therewith, said tongues tapering down .from their point of attachment to the opposite end; in Fig. 4, I illustrate a similar unit comprising a plate 23 and two short tapering tongues 24, 25, such as may be em loyed for the higher pitched notes; and in 5,

.1 illustrate a single action unit comprising a plate 26 and a single tapei ing tongue 27 of .said plate.

It will be observed however, that in practice, the tongues used for the production of low pitched notes, are not onl longer, but are also thicker than those use for the production of high pitched tones; so that metals of various anges are used for the production of'a complete set. This condition may be duglicated in carrying out my invention wit out sacrificing the advantages due to my method of production, by using a plate having a decreasing thickness from the low itched to the high pitched end as shown in ig. 7, where the left end 28' of plate 28 isnot only wider but is also thicker than the right end 28" of the same plate.

, t is, of course,

tongues of various types and shapes merey changing the outline of the corresponding slit through the plate, so that various unusual notes ma be produced if desired, which could not easi y be obtained by the methods heretofore in 'use.

My improved action plates may be made I out of any suitable metal and gauge and may be either made in the formof elementary units or in the form of sectional or complete units without departing from the scope of my inventive idea. I I

It is obvious that minor details of constructionmay vary from those shown without departing from the s irit, of my invention; therefore, I reserve t e right to carry my invention into practice in all those ways and manners which may enter, fairly, into the .sco e of the appended claims.

clalmz 1. An action unit for musical instruments of the character specified, comprising a plate slitaccording to a redetermined outline, so as to form a vibratmg element integral with possible to produce vibratsaid plate, both surfaces of said element bein substantially even with the surfaces of split at spaced positions intermediate of its ends, so as to form a series of vibrating ele-. ments having a gradually decreasing length,

' and having both of their surfaces substantially even with the surfaces of said plate.

4. An action board for musical instruments of the character, specified, comprising a plate havin a gradually decreasing thickness from one 0 its ends to the other, said plate being split at spaced positions intermediate its ends,

so as to form a series of vibrating elements, integral with said plate, said vibrating elements having a gradually decreasing thickness, and having both of their surfaces substantially even with the surfaces of said plate. 5. An action board for musical instruments of the character specified,"comprising a plate havin a gradually decreasing thickness from one 0 its ends tothe other, said plate being split at spaced positions intermediate its ends, so as to form a series of vibrating elements integral with said plate, said vibrating ele ments having a gradually decreasing length and a radually decreasing thickness, and having 0th of their surfaces substantially even with the surfaces of said plate.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

MARIO SOPRANI. 

